So...Natalee Holloway is back in the news again, eh? What about Jamie Cockayne? Why not equal time for him as well? Is his death so unimportant?

Cockayne Family Photo previously released to friends, family, media, etc.

Jamie Cockayne was brutally murdered in June, 2007. It took until August, 2007 for the U.S. Virgin islands Government to finally act, and at that time, they put first degree murder suspects, Kamal Thomas and Anselmo Boston back on the street with bail that was utterly laughable. We have to wonder if those two are really under house arrest and wearing monitoring bracelets as the U.S. Virgin Islands limps into another tourist season.

The news of the updates in the Natalee Holloway case undoubtedly made for a more hopeful or joyful Thanksgiving for the Holloway family, but are the Cockaynes not to receive such a gift ever? How is it justice still appears so fleeting on a United States of America territory? Are the laws different?

Coffeepot Ghost Photo

So back to "America's Paradise". Why is it that local business owners write mean letters to local papers? in one the writer, a local business person, says Mrs. Cockayne must be drunk while writing them? Seriously? Nice empathy and sympathy. Way to go, care about those tourism dollars - but hey, maybe it's just us, but reading this letter we wondered WHY anyone would want to visit a place so cruel? Yes, Mrs. Cockayne is drunk...drunk with grief...and who can blame her? Her son was brutally murdered! And it does not matter if his son was being mouthy, had too much to drink, flirted inappropriately or whatever - murdering him and leaving him to just die on the street only a short distance from a police station was NOT the appropriate response to any of that!

And what about Chicago native Don Calloway, brutally beaten to a pulp for no reason in 2006? Did he deserve THAT?

Don Calloway personal photo from www.caribbeannetnews.com

Here is an excerpt from a CBS2 news report in Chicago from 2006:

(CBS) You go on vacation to escape from the troubles of everyday life.

Now, there's a disturbing trend of violent crime in tropical paradises considered to be very safe.

The latest involves a Chicago man who suffered a vicious attack on the U.S Virgin Island of St. John.

As CBS 2's Suzanne LeMignot reports, his mission now is to spread the word.

A blood-stained face, an open wound on his knee; this is how Don Calloway said he looked after he fell to the ground following a beating with a shovel.

"This kid started swinging. The first couple shots, I took in the arms, I caught one. Then, after three or four shots, he landed one on my head," Calloway said.

Calloway said he was attacked while vacationing on St. John. He had left a local bar on the island and was trying to hail a cab. That's when he said two teens approached him from behind.

"I took off my watch, threw it to them, asked them what they wanted, do you want my money. They never said anything," Calloway said.

Calloway said he was able to get away from his two teenaged attackers. He ran to a nearby police station.

Police found his battered watch on the road. The attackers never took it.

Weeks later, Calloway's wounds may have healed, but now, he wants justice.

So...Don Calloway left a local bar...and see? he gets beaten to a pulp for contributing to the island economy? That is why we scratch our heads when we read letters from local merchants in the St. John Tradewinds lamenting the unwelcome attention - they say the letters from the Cockaynes are "tedious" and infer they are bad for business. Well, if these fine merchants think the letters are bad for business and toursim, what about the crimes occuring that go unsolved? According to Mrs. Cockayne there are significant number of unsolved crimes and crimes like rape, burglary and assault go unreported more times than not. Explain to us all again why we should vacation in "America's Paradise"? Why is a boycott such a bad idea? Didn't boycotting Aruba get instant attention to the Natalee Holloway case?

What are all those folks on St. john in the U.S. Virgin Islands afraid of? Why is the United States Government not doing more here? If this is a United States Territory, then as taxpayers, don't we have a say in where some of our tax dollars go? So, if we can't control the spending of the tax dollars, why not control the spending of the tourist dollars? Why NOT just vacation someplace else? Why would we want to go to a place that also has things reported like horrible animal abuse? Do you want to vacation in a place that allows ears to be cut off dogs and little cats are drowned for fun? Is St. John USVI paradise or a little island slice of hell?

And so what if we hear more from Mrs. Cockayne. She has a mission: Justice for Jamie Cockayne and other crimie victims in "America's Paradise", the United States Virgin Islands. No, the residents of St. John USVI might not like it, but she is entitled to say what is on her mind. Recent thoughts can be found here and here.

Do you know something that could help Jeanie Cockayne get justice? Are you a Government official in the United States of America who could help? Are you a member of the media that thinks equal time for Jamie is in order?

Then here, contact Mrs. Cockayne - she asks time and again in published letters to the editor:

215-862-1142 or email

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We understand that the Cockayne family still has real concerns about law enforcement entities not communicating with each other. We really wish the Cockayne family would set up a website and make all these documents, articles, and letters available. We really wish that elected officials would get off their keysters and get busy demanding justice and enact change.

Give the Cockayne family peace and closure for Christmas - Advocate Justice for Jamie Cockayne.